Downloads

Gallery

Store

Posts posted by dragonofruin

Sombra's ears flattened back when a voice echoed back to him through the crystal hallways. It was, as he thought it would be, unfamiliar. Without answering, he looked to the glowing line that lit up along the floor and began to follow it, listening to the pony speak to him through her magically amplified voice. As the words barbecued chicken met his ears, his brow furrowed once more in confusion. He knew what chickens were, that wasn't the problem. It was the fact that this mare sounded as if she was offering up chicken as food. Sombra had never so much as touched meat in his life, and he knew well enough ponies were herbivores.

So what did this make this pony? If she even was a pony?

His curiosity grew and the umbrum walked on, traversing the winding halls that were so similar it felt as if he were going nowhere at all.. until the light finally lead him to a room. Pushing open the door, Sombra strode inside and came to a halt where the blue mare he'd been following now was. The only question was: what was she up to? And..

"I have no idea what 'barbecued chicken with hot spices' even tastes like, and I'm not sure if I want to find out."

Sombra kept his distance while he followed the strange, blue mare, and it was at one point that he saw her horn disappear and wings appear at her sides with a flash. Confusion flitted across his face, his brows furrowing. He knew he wasn't crazy, and had seen exactly what he thought he had seen; but how could that have happened? How could she switch between a unicorn and a pegasus? Was her appearance little more than an illusion or was there something else at play?

Shaking his head, Sombra trotted after her on quiet hooves.

The crystalline castle soon loomed into view, and it was there that he got to see the mare take flight as if she had always been a pegasus, rather than a unicorn so shortly before. His eyes followed her as she flew up to what he assumed was one of the floors of the castle above, where it branched out, tree-like, and held various structures of the castle. He wasn't sure if they were meant to be like the canopy of the tree, or like parts of an oddly shaped treehouse. Whatever the case, he found the entire castle to be a little.. tacky, albeit the only thing vaguely familiar to the Crystal Empire in the material that made it up. Spying what looked like a balcony similar to the one on the Crystal Empire's palace, Sombra chose it to teleport to- he didn't know the layout of this castle, and he'd rather not be at odds with this stranger just in case it was a trap.

Dark magic flared around his horn, charging.. and soon he was gone in a flash, reappearing a few seconds later on the balcony. The door was open, and Sombra invited himself inside. He could work in close quarters well enough, especially against a winged foe- if this mare was a foe, and not some harmless, albeit strange, pony.

"Hello?" Sombra called out, the power of his deep voice allowing his voice to travel across the empty space. Now he just had to find his way, and see if he couldn't pick up on the blue mare's magic.

Sombra tilted his head from where he lurked in the shadow of a building, watching as the mare seemed to pick up on something. He always had that sort of presence about him that ponies came to notice sooner or later, and it was no fault of his beyond his general, bad-tempered nature. When that dark magic passed over him, he felt it and stiffened, taken by surprise. It wasn't often he saw ponies use dark magic, and with ease, so for this mare to use it.. it made him wonder. And not just about that, but the hiss her voice seemed to adopt. He didn't bother answering, not yet.

The umbrum watched as she moved away, towards the unusual gingerbread-shaped building he'd seen before- it was hard to miss among the rest of Ponyville's buildings, and when it was out in the open. She soon came back into view carrying a pair of cupcakes, and his ears perked towards the voice. Twilight's place? If he recalled from what Celestia told him, and what glimpse he'd seen of the mare once, her 'place' was the giant, tree-shaped crystal that he could hardly call a castle. If that was the place this pony seemed to want to meet, then so be it. Sombra finally stepped out into the open, making himself visible as he followed after the mare. The dull grey of his coat, long, swept-back mane and the curve of his red horn made him stand out sorely among the ponies he passed- and that was not counting the rest of his features.

Sombra would meet this stranger at Twilight's.. 'castle' to see why it was she was intent on meeting him, and perhaps learn more about why this unicorn used dark magic the way she did. It was unusual.

It'd been some time since Sombra had last been to Ponyville- perhaps the last time had been during a discrete visit to the spa upon following a suggestion from Prince Blueblood. He could still remember the first time he'd ever run across this small, country town with its hardpack dirt roads and straw-roofed houses, one of very few memories to crop back up once he'd gotten off of the train. They weren't terribly important to review.

Canterlot had gotten stifling enough to drive him to visit Ponyville on a whim, and his dark hooves carried him through the streets he'd not yet had a chance to properly explore before, unlike the capital city. And here, he was free to wander without feeling pressured to hide behind a disguise or lurking in the shadows; the royal sisters knew about him now, one far more than the other. Any suspicious or fearful looks that ponies gave him were ignored, and the wide berth most of them gave him left him free enough to walk without tripping or running into anypony- he was tall enough to loom over most, but he didn't have Celestia's height, thankfully. All that he'd come to town wearing was his signature red, fur-lined cape; everything else was gone.

Sombra's attention had been on the shops that he passed by, shops that he occasionally peered in on through the large display windows to see what all they sold in a little town like this, before a voice drew his focus away. Initially, it sounded like a call for help.. but after he heard the rest of it, he knew it simply to be somepony offering help. His ears perked up and Sombra looked around for the source, a faint scowl on his face. If he was looking in the right direction, it looked to be a blue unicorn mare. He moved a little closer, sticking to the edge of the street; next to Ponyville's daily crowd, he was a dark intimidating shadow among brightly colored ponies. He stuck out like a sore hoof.

Thinking about it, for whatever reason that even got him thinking about it, Sombra wasn't sure if he'd need any help to get it from a stranger.. beyond a guide, probably.

Her faint smile widened slightly and Rose came to a halt near where Grey had been sitting and seated herself as primly as she could despite the weight of the bags on her back. "I think I have everything. It was just the matter of sorting it, and finding what other small things I needed to bring with me. Nottoo much, though. I do have a bit of sense to be practical considering this is a trip out to the woods and not to some event in a city."

A look crossed her face. Around the afternoon? Well.. it didn't sound too bad, considering how early it was. It was better than if they'd ended up there in the evening instead. It would just be a couple of hours on the train, time they could no doubt spend talking or watching the countryside fly by- it'd definitely give her a chance to see more of Equestria up close rather than from the marble railings at the edges of Canterlot's tiers.

"Talking too much? No, of course not." Rose made a dismissive gesture with her hoof. "You sound excited about such a trip, and I can't really blame you." Her only problem was having to find something to talk about. Grey certainly had plenty to share as an adventurer, but she didn't, not if he wanted to hear about how to take care of and grow flowers. Psh. Anypony who wasn't passionate about growing plants would, and even if they weren't, it still might get a little boring to focus on for long. Gossip didn't seem to be Grey's thing either, though it wouldn't hurt to share some of the chatter that flitted across social circles in Canterlot. Later, maybe.

"You're not going to ruin anything. So you were saying something about a.. bonfire, I think?"

Sombra tilted his head towards Raven's voice and rumbled softly. If what she said was true then perhaps she could help him figure out where all of this strangeness was coming from. As well as the biped, Hogo-sha, if his senses were as good as he claimed.

"My name should sound familiar," Sombra replied, lifting his head to meet Hogo-sha's gaze. "I am King Sombra, albeit no longer of the Crystal Empire." It was a good thing he wasn't, for both sides. Equestria was his, now. His possessiveness aside.. he didn't offer his hoof as Raven did, nor perform any other social habits that ponies did during introductions. It was something he didn't see much point in, nor was he the friendliest of creatures.

"I'm not sure if it could be a curse. I know curses and this doesn't quite seem to be like one.. But it's hard to tell." His brow furrowed. The word yokai was yet another thing unfamiliar to him and even Hogo-sha's explanation didn't fit. There'd been no broken pacts here, as far as he was aware. Nor did the magic follow him or happen around him. It just seemed to happen in the castle. Still, maybe some of what they, especially Blueblood, had mentioned was worth looking into? With some companions, maybe they could hunt down this source.. if there was one. For all Sombra knew, there wasn't.

"Then we should get started." Sombra agreed, moving away to gesture at the guards to close the front door. During their short conversation, Sombra hadn't seen any other ponies coming and going- the number looked to have dwindled. With hope, all visitors had gone, but he'd never know if there were still any other ponies around.. Hopefully there wouldn't be. And he could just hope because he had no interest in hunting down any lingering visitors when they had something more important to get to. "I'm sure all of your skills may come useful."

Over the two days that they'd allotted themselves to prepare, Rose struggled to keep herself from bringing anything unnecessary, like makeup, or dresses.. She knew she wasn't going to need anything more than her brushes, some soaps, and the supplies she'd purchased from the shops. All she really had to do was sort through it all and pack it properly in her bags. The tent was already bound, so she had no need to bother with it..

Eventually she did have everything she needed packed, along with a towel or two just in case she needed them.. and sunglasses.. and maybe a couple of hairbands just to keep her mane out of the way..

Rose was eventually satisfied and showered the night before, so that when morning came and her belongings were gathered, she strode to the train station, clean and freshly groomed. She came without a dress on, deciding that she wouldn't risk dirtying or accidentally tearing any of them out in the woods. The most she might have brought with her, as a last minute decision, was a simple white shawl in one of her bags. But her form was clearer, slim and graceful.

The noblemare would arrive sometime after Grey had and a pony like himself was easy to find among the more colorful coats of the crowd, and Rose was again impressed to see Grey had actually put some effort into grooming himself and looking far more taken care of. She would offer him a small smile as she approached, still struggling a little under the weight of her bags though she tried not to show it. "Good morning, Grey."

Rose shifted on her hooves, trying to adjust to the weight of her bags. "Indeed it is. They do good work here in Canterlot, and for a reason." She allowed herself to let a small smile slip.

"I think nine will work. I'll at least be ready to leave the house before then. Beyond that particular question, I don't have anymore for the time being. I'm sure I'll have some later when we get to our actual trip." She was sure to have a lot of questions, whether Grey had tried to explain how camping worked or not- there had to be more. Like how to set up a tent or how to get a fire started, or.. whatever else there might be. She didn't know what she'd have to ask or what the question will end up being about.

"Farewell, until then, Grey." Rose offered him that small smile again and watched him go, taking some amusement out of the over the top bow he'd given her. Feeling the weight now that she no longer had his company as a distraction, the pegasus slowly started off down the street to make her way back home. As much as she wanted to rush to get these bags off of her back as soon as possible, she couldn't rush herself- Rose at least knew that she'd only tire herself out more then, and walking the streets of Canterlot a sweaty, unkempt mess would be unbecoming of a lady like herself.

There was a lot to learn about camping. Rose wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to remember it at all, or ever get a sense or skill for it. And there was a lot to buy, too. It wasn't unexpected, the supplies they had to hunt down all around this small area of Canterlot, it was just.. a lot. It didn't put a dent in her purse, however. As a mare from a noble family, if an overseas one, she'd already been well off even before founding her business.

The bags she'd had to get and fill with their newfound supplies were heavy on her back, and she hadn't known much strenuous labor in her life. It wasn't too bad, or so she initially thought before reminding herself that it'd only be so long before it all really started to weigh on her and tire her out. So far, so good. Even then, she was tempted to hoof some of it off to Grey to carry instead- something she had to refrain from doing. Rose was no fool. She knew that treating a potential friend like Grey like her personal servant would be a terrible thing to do, no matter how new or far along their relationship was.

Rose offered the stallion a smile when he spoke to her and she shrugged one shoulder the best she could despite the weight on her back. "Shopping is always a pleasure for me, albeit a bit of a guilty one. I'm glad you could enjoy it too~." She quieted at the open invitation to ask questions and searched her mind for any that she might have. So far.. she didn't think she did. Camping seemed to be pretty clear cut. Although..

"Where should we meet up when we're to leave? At the train station at a certain time in the day?"

Sombra knew that Raven wouldn't refuse him, not when he was her adopted brother. A smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth and his attention shifted back to the newly arrived pair and he could see from here that they were speaking quietly among themselves. If he listened, he could hear the faint sound of their voices across the space, but he couldn't make out any words, not until they started towards Raven and him and addressed them directly.

The umbrum withdrew his leg from around Raven's shoulders and straightened up, taking a few steps across the remaining distance between them. Before he could formulate an answer for Blueblood, he heard the strange, bipedal canine's introduction. Sombra was glad that a shorter name was provided- he didn't think he'd deign to bother remembering a long name like that, and not for a stranger. "Experts?" Sombra echoed. "Expert," he corrected, glancing over at Raven. He didn't know how much she might know about dark magic, or anything about what could possibly be causing all this activity in the castle.

"I can't say that I know much more about it than anypony else here," Sombra said at last, his inequine red eyes flicking towards Blueblood- he hadn't forgotten the unicorn. "All I've been able to pick up is dark magic, here and there. Like an unusual smell that drifts under your nose every so often and you can't find a source; if I were to put it that way." His snout wrinkled, one side of his upper lip lifting in an expression that might have been distaste.

"Celestia is out, currently, so I'm.. intent on handling it, but it's been elusive. Luna's been handling court, when ponies do come. I think that particular problem has more to do with Celestia's absence than the castle, however; I doubt any visitors have seen anything. I'm sure you've noticed that the rest of the castle is off-limits to visitors for that very reason."

Rose didn't have to be certain that she'd seen some flicker of confusion across Grey's face after her reaction, not after it showed in the questioning apology he managed to utter. She gave him a small smile as he passed by, trying to express in some way that it was fine. It might be best if she kept that mask over her emotions before she broke him again, or caused any other problems. Inhaling, Rose pulled that air of general indifference back over herself as she turned away from him, flipping the sign on her shop's door to the 'Out for Lunch' one before she closed it- at least so any potential visitors knew it was closed- and locked it with the key that hung around her neck on a chain.

Rose tucked it back behind her collar and started off with a sweep of her long, red tail, leading the way. "Indeed I shall," she replied with a small smirk, glancing back at Grey. She'd caught the dramatic little bow he'd performed for her and she found it somewhat amusing.

Facing ahead, the mare navigated the clean streets of Canterlot, seeking out the stores she remembered seeing before. It wouldn't be too difficult for her to find them, and for them to get what they needed.

The compliment, and the wink that came with it, came as a surprise to Rose, who hadn't been expecting either of them out of Grey. It'd completely caught her off guard and she flustered, averting her eyes and her pastel pink cheeks darkening in hue in a faint blush. It wasn't often she received many, genuine compliments from ponies she felt to be truly honest. Most rich Canterlot ponies tended to freely give compliments and praise without meaning, if just to be considered in the good graces of another, well known pony.

"Well, thank you," Rose managed to say, stepping around Grey to head towards the door. She hardly looked over after he'd stopped, brought to a halt by his realization. "I do believe I do. Such stores aren't among the higher end shops, but some of the more generic stories have such things. Especially whenever ponies in Canterlot might be planning for something and need traveling supplies, even if it is sometimes seen more as a novelty than anything with some of the nobility here."

The pegasus stepped out the door and held it open for Grey with a wing, patiently waiting for whenever the stallion would get himself moving again. If her body language was anything to go by, it would be clear that Rose was going to take the lead. She likely knew Canterlot better than him.

Whitetail Woods it was, then! The idea of it, of camping, was becoming an exciting one even if Rose knew she'd find distaste in certain aspects of camping. She'd have to bite down on the need to bring unnecessary belongings, like dresses or.. makeup.. There was no need to keep up one's appearance out in the woods, beyond standard bathing and grooming. It'd be hard for her to endure, but she'd endure it nonetheless if just to pursue what it was she found so exciting about this prospect.

A prim eyebrow rose again and she quietly chuckled, the noise muffled behind her smiling lips. "Do I look like the kind of mare who has ever gone out camping?" she asked, her tone making it clear that she wasn't trying to be snippy with him- only playful. As playful as somepony as restrained as her could be.

Bags, tent.. it sounded as if there was more to the list before Grey decided to simply help her instead. It sounded like a good idea to her, being that he was the more experienced pony between them when it came to camping and having just the right supplies to do so.

"I do believe two days from now shall work well enough. It'll give me time to pack what I'll need, and speak with my friend so that they'll know when to tend to my shop. And give them the keys of course.." There was much she'd have to do to prepare, and two days was enough to do so, Rose was confident of that. "So shall we do a little.. shopping, then?"

A couple of ideas. Rose heard them out, briefly raising her eyebrow at the one that was longer than just 'a couple of days'. It still sounded pleasant, however. A camping trip! Rose had never gone out camping before. She'd never had any reason to, no friends to camp with, and roughing it as a highborn such as herself sounded less than ideal.. Bugs, dirt, no baths or comfortable beds to sleep in.. Rose suppressed a shudder.

It didn't escape her notice that Grey was certainly trying to hook her with the comment about all the flowers that would be blooming at this time of year. It caught her interest, too. Maybe it would be nice to go camping. Quaint, too, to see the wilderness with her own eyes instead of through pictures in books and magazines that she sometimes hoofed through whenever she was idling at home or in her store. Whitetail Forest was appealing, more so than the other small, 'unnamed' forests closer to home- and of course the possibilities of simply visiting Manehatten or Fillydelphia instead were equally as tempting.

Oh, so many choices!

"I.. can't say if I have any of my own ideas, or 'dream places' to visit.. Your ideas, on the other hoof, are certainly appealing and I have no idea which place I'd like to visit for the weekend." Rose replied, visibly torn. Manehatten was a place she'd never been before, a city she'd heard many positive details about, and it would supply all of her creature comforts she had here in Canterlot, if a little more with the service ponies received at hotels. Yet Whitetail Wood..

Something about it called her. Something entirely new.

"Even though it'd be for a few days longer.. maybe Whitetail Wood wouldn't be a bad stop.."

More of her amusement could be visible, sparkling in her eyes, after Grey's retort. It was a gentle teasing she didn't think she'd be able to get away with with other ponies in this city, especially any of her regular visitors. They'd take offense if she so much as implied something, even as a joke. A reason why that she liked Grey's laid back personality. "It's good that you enjoyed our talk, and my shop then. Otherwise, I don't think I'd have seen you here again."

She wasn't sure what sort of answer to give in regards to his question and merely remained quiet, patiently waiting to hear the question that Grey appeared so hesitant in asking her, and when he finally did, her ears perked up in interest. A trip? Either for the weekend or.. any two days she deigned to give him for it. Rose's face clouded over with thought, green eyes staring past the stallion's head as she considered it. It wasn't too heavy a decision for her - she hadn't been lying when she said she knew somepony who could watch the place for that long, or longer if the need arose.

Rose eventually came back to the here and now and nodded, focusing on Grey again. "I think it sounds lovely. I could do to break away from my routines every so often. However, all I know is that it'll be a trip. What else could you tell me about it? Like what's our destination, and what will your plans be?" she asked curiously, inclining her head. She obviously didn't think Grey would lead her astray, let alone anywhere too dangerous - she could fly, but she wasn't the least bit equipped for fighting or defending herself in any manner beyond her wits.

Rose made a skeptical hmph in her throat and eyed him as if she didn't believe him, as if he could've cleaned himself up a bit before he'd stepped into her shop the first time. Her reaction wasn't in seriousness, but in jest, evident by the small smile playing around one side of her mouth.

"I'm glad you thought of me and actually came to visit. I wasn't entirely expecting you to return again, after what I'd learned about you: a stallion who can't stay in one place for too long. If I recall saying.. I think I can understand why." Rose shrugged. The smile that'd been hinted at grew wider. His mother loved her flowers? The pegasus had to remind herself: why wouldn't she? Her flowers were grown with love and care, and skill of course. Surely there wouldn't be a single pony who wouldn't love her flowers.

Still, the news brought Rose a happiness she scarcely dared show beyond her smile and a brightening of her eyes.

The mare looked around her shop, giving it a once over with her gaze as Grey commented on it. Rose supposed she did have her hooves full - sometimes. It wasn't too bad, outside of a routine that could get boring sometimes, if Rose dared to admit it to herself. Catching the hesitation, the noblemare looked curiously back at Grey, a prim eyebrow arching.

"A free weekend? Well.. I suppose.. I do believe I know somepony who I can pay to watch my shop if I ever need to get out for a while. Why? Is there something on your mind?"

The guard would definitely not keep anypony from entering the castle; their main concern was keeping ponies out of the rest of the castle that wasn't open to the public, orders that they'd reluctantly taken from a demanding Sombra. The way to the throne room was clear for visitors, of course, to petition or bring something up to the only princess left in the castle. Without Celestia around, there hadn't been too many ponies passing through.

Upon seeing Raven come wandering through the tall, entrance doors, Sombra visibly perked up, though the signs were slight- an alertness to his eyes and the way his ears swiveled towards her. Sombra moved from his self-imposed post to greet Raven, a corner of his mouth ever so slightly curling up in a half-smile; not quite his signature, smug smirk. "Raven," the king rumbled softly. "It's been a while," he remarked. The last time he'd ever seen her was during Celestia's birthday party, which had gone rather well despite Stormstride's late appearance and general distaste towards the party. "You came to 'hang out' with me? Hmm." He appeared to consider it, tilting his head; he almost seemed playful, despite the general air of the castle weighing on him. "As much as I might dare to admit that I'd like to, maybe.. although research isn't quite what I have in mind."

Sombra reached out to wrap a foreleg around Raven's shoulders in an attempt to draw her close to him, his head lowered close to hers in a conspiratory way. "I have something to tell you. Something's been going on in the castle and.. since you're here, perhaps you can help me with something," he murmured to her, so far vague about what exactly it was. Before he could venture forward with telling her what had been going on, and hope that he didn't sound crazy, Sombra spied a familiar face entering the castle alongside a strange, bipedal creature he'd never seen before.

The stallion paused and straightened up, leaving his foreleg companionably around Raven's shoulders. If he searched his memory, he recalled he hadn't seen Blueblood around the castle as of late, not until now. Grunting softly at his thoughts, Sombra watched the white unicorn and his companion.

The soft, familiar ding of the bell above the door drew Rose's wandering attention to a sharp focus upon the next pony to walk through the front door. She regretted to admit to herself it took her a few seconds to fully recognize exactly who she was looking at, and she was aided by the fact that his coat was grey. Rose wished it was the fact that he was a little more well groomed, as her cursory glance showed her, than the last time she saw him that was behind her brief lapse of memory in recognizing him, but alas. Her red-painted lips spread in a smile and Rose deigned to pull herself off of her stool, moving around her counter to greet the stallion instead of letting it remain as a small barrier between them.

"Grey!" Rose greeted with some warmth in her voice. "I do remember you. My, it's been a while, and you appear to have cleaned yourself up somewhat." A slim eyebrow rose as her eyes swept, up and down, over his overall appearance. "What brings you back to my shop so soon? Another bouquet, perhaps, or did you simply wish to drop in to see me?" she asked with a tilt of her head, causing her fall of deep, red mane to more fully frame one side of her face; it was still kept loose, for the most part. Rose rarely did much with her mane, nor had to, when she lived a sedentary life that was peaceful enough in Canterlot.

"I can't even remember when it was that I last saw you. Sometime in autumn, probably? Before winter?" The mare straightened and shrugged, indicating that she didn't have a clue. It didn't matter much, anyway. She was.. surprisingly glad to see him around again.

A florist was never, terribly busy when tending to a host of various flowers, running a shop during its open hours. Beyond a few ponies coming in to buy some bouquets, either to liven up their homes or to touch the heart of somepony special, there wasn't a whole lot of traffic. It could almost be boring, if Rose didn't find ways to pass the time when it was quiet. It wasn't too bad- she liked her solitude, for the most part. And her roses, which weren't as easy to take care of as some ponies might think- they were picky, fickle things. The soil and sunlight and how much water they received had to be just right.

She loved them, nonetheless.

Rose idled around her shop on this lovely spring day, when flowers bloomed in plenty. It was a time when the land roused itself after a long, cold sleep, and she had to admit that whenever she was outside or standing by one of her large display windows in the warmth of the sunlight, that she felt alive again too. Not that she would ever admit to her inner feelings around any customers that came in- with them, she merely exchanged idle gossip to discover if there were any changes in the usual goings-on around Canterlot. It entertained her well enough.

After another, cursory sweep around her shop, Rose settled behind her counter again with a sigh, her rear legs loosely crossed one over the other and an elbow propped up on the counter's shiny surface, her eyes watching the door.

In the dark of night, something crept by, unseen by the guards who patrolled the grounds and the halls of the marble castle. It cast the faint shadow of a pony on the walls, though there appeared to be no source. It soon disappeared after a moment, making its way inside through one of the lower windows. On occasion the shadow could be glimpsed up on the walls and was gone again- the only thing that was really discernible about the shadow was a curved horn.. and later a flicker of dark magic. After its passing, an eerie air seemed to settle in the castle, something that didn't seem to let up in the days after the shadow's passing. If anything, it only grew heavier, leaving the castle staff on edge, like they were being watched. It would steadily grow stronger, building like a thunderstorm.

It'd been only a couple months since a certain king moved into the castle and some of the staff were certain he was behind it. Trying to frighten them. Some of them had already been scared off; the only responses to letters sent out to them was a refusal to return until it all either stopped, or he was removed, and that was something Princess Celestia would refuse to do. If anything, Sombra was tasked to deal with just to give the umbrum something interesting to do.

---

It was a week and a half after it all started, and King Sombra was still left with no answers- only more questions. There wasn't much that his lovely wife-to-be could do about it, not when she was off busy with her duties and Princess Luna overseeing the dream realm during the latter half of the night- and she'd certainly refused to work with him because of her distrust. It left Sombra disgruntled, alone to deal with it while Princess Celestia was out on some diplomatic visit or another- he hadn't really been paying much attention to what she was saying at that moment, not when he could study her face before she left. He had the gist of it, however.

With so strange a task heavy on his shoulders, Sombra used what power he could seized to ensure the rest of the castle was off limits to visitors and picked a spot out in the grand foyer to stand, off to the side, to watch the occasional pony come and go with a sharp eye, all the while pondering what the reason could be for the responsibility falling to him to look into this.. strange matter. He had the skill, and the power, to be sure.. but so far nothing was really making sense. He'd made an effort to keep this issue quiet before any of these ponies could spread horrible rumors or create the sort of suspicion that'd cause problems. The day was beginning to wane towards the afternoon, and he was waiting for it to end before he could really do anything..

Sombra quietly rumbled from his place, frowning deeply. Ugh. It didn't help that that.. feeling in the air was putting him on edge too, but he refused to ever show that there was anything going on at all.

Within Canterlot's castle, strange things have begun to happen, scaring the castle staff and guard alike, from unearthly noises in the night and furniture mysteriously moving, rearranging itself, and sometimes disappearing. These goings-on will steadily begin to escalate in various ways and nopony knows why it's happening. Some of the staff have already fled the grounds while they could, leaving the guard and the castle's new resident, Sombra, to try to find out what's causing this event, but much of the suspicion seems to rest squarely on him.

....

This is just a little OOC thread for an open rp I wanted to start just to have something to do on the site. <: If only to set some structure/rules/information. Anyone is allowed to join~

The rp is going to have a post order so that things don't get too confusing, and for the sake of keeping it going, anyone who goes inactive will be skipped if there isn't a sign of any activity after maybe a week+ (real life getting in the way is understandable tho!) but you can post back in and rejoin the order. I just ask people stick to basic roleplay rules o:

No one's character will get hurt or killed, especially not the latter, and the former only if they want it to happen~. It's more meant to be a fun/spooky rp.

Sex: MareAge: AdultSpecies: UnicornEye colour: Pink/orangeCoat: Dual colored. A dark desaturated brown along the top half of her body, while her face, throat, belly and legs are a silver-grey. Two horizontal white spots on her cheeks above a dark brown patch.Mane/Tail: Long and wavy/curly, almost black-brown.Physique: Slim, somewhat taller than the average pony.Residence: An abandoned hut out in the woods, near the Foal Mountains; previously the umbrum prison beneath the Crystal Empire.Occupation: Necromancer, witchCutie Mark: An equine skull with purple smoke curling out of the eye sockets. Her skills in dark magic lie in necromancy.

History: Prisme spent a thousand years locked away within the umbrum prison, awaiting the day that they would all soon be freed by their chosen champion- a day that never came. It became likely that Sombra failed in his task, but none of them could be sure. Eventually, an impatient Prisme was the one who stepped up and suggested that what they'd done to free him could be done again. It'd been long enough for them to recover to do so for another. And so they did, sealing Prisme's dark powers away so that she could step through their only window on the world: the red crystal. Once she made it through, the umbrum leader unlocked her dark power and sent her on to investigate, and aid if necessary. What Prisme discovered under a disguise was that Sombra had, indeed, failed, and that there were rumors and sightings of him further south in a land now known as Equestria. Enraged that he'd not only failed, but had turned away from them, Prisme intended to go after him for his betrayal- the Empire and the prison could come later. She knew that it would likely be an easy task for her, who was yet unknown to them.

Character Personality: Prisme is a determined and cunning creature, somepony who prefers to work from the shadows rather than making herself a known and visible presence; remaining mysterious would make it difficult for others to expect where the next attack might come from, or to even manage a proper defense against her. She prefers and enjoys creating environments of fear, confusion, and misery wherever she strikes. Prisme is manipulative and dishonest, prone to tricking others or portraying herself in a certain light to avoid suspicion, if possible, or to gain information. She wields a terrible temper and can become rather vengeful, bent on exacting punishment on those who betray her and others like her in order to snuff out loose ends before her larger goal can be met. There is likely no reasoning with her, much less sympathy, understanding, or even... friendship. Everything she does, she does for one reason or another and never gives away what those reasons are- nor would she become known for winding speeches.

Character Summary: Prisme is an antagonistic unicorn who managed to escape the umbrum prison with the aid of others to discover the reason behind why they were never freed, and hellbent on exacting some sort of punishment for that failure. Her dark magic leans more towards necromancy in order to sow fear.

Though some things about the eps were a bit disappointing and felt sort of.. rushed/had weird pacing? I greatly enjoyed them, mainly getting to see and hear Sombra at last When I first heard his voice I was kind of 'eh' about it but it quickly grew on me, especially with how he was kind of over the top. Glad to see he's as arrogant as I thought he'd be. xD

It's too bad he's 'dead' again. I'm hoping they'll maybe bring him back if he's willing to go along with Grogar? idk! they might not, knowing how they write, but I can hope.